A 26 year old man from Jinzhou, in northeastern China died after a 7 day gaming session.
China has seen an alarming rise in the number of teenage and young adult Internet addicts in recent years, despite attempts to restrict minors from cyber cafes and limit online game playing times.
On April 2nd, EA Games will officially have an open position at CEO when Larry Probst steps down as the company head. While there still might be time to get your resume in for the position, I wouldn’t hold your breath on the job as John Riccitello, an old school EA employee, is rumored to be taking it. The last few years have not been great for EA amidst dropping stock prices and controversy over its reliance on sequels and inability to innovate with new titles. Does Riccitello have what it takes to turn the company around after 16 years with Probst as the man in charge? We’re going to find out one way or the other, but here’s hoping their new direction is one that steers clear of micropayments, embedded tracking software, and skyrocketing game prices.
Even though the Nintendo Wii on its own might be cheap (comparatively to the 360 and PS3), it seems like GameStop/EBGames stores (EBStops?) have found ways to make up the difference in profits on their own, gouging customers on accessories. The official Nintendo component cable retails for $29.99 (which is not cheap to begin with) but the GameStop cables are $49.99. Customers have also reported visiting local stores only to find the official Nintendo option unavailable on store shelves, and only the GameStop branded accessory in stock. I guess that’s not too hard to believe these days with all the major platforms making their big money on $60-$70 games and controllers that cost $60 a piece. Next stop, consoles and games you don’t actually own, you just get to play them as long as you pay your monthly fee…
Notorious American lawyer, Jack Thompson, faces the possibility of disciplinary action in an upcoming hearing before the Florida Supreme Court. Thompson is perhaps most famous for his many court cases attempting to enforce stricter law against video gaming companies and was at the forefront during last years Grand Theft Auto hot coffee minigame controversy with Rockstar Games. Most recently, Thompson lead a campaign in the courts against another Rockstar property, Bully, which resulted in a judgement for the game maker. Jack Thompson was critical of the judges decision, in this case, and now faces this hearing as a result. Personally, I think this guy seems to finally be getting what he deserves. His cases against these games are completely baseless, and only serve to show his complete lack of knowledge of the entire gaming community as a whole. It will be a nice change to see him on the receiving side of a case for once and I, for one, will be rooting for disbarment…
